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Strong parliaments

Strong parliaments

Building democracy is at the heart of all our work. Democracy delivers rights, social justice, sustainable development and peace, and is the best system on which to base governments.

Strong parliaments are a cornerstone of democracy. They represent the will of the people, pass laws and hold governments to account. As an organization made up of the world’s parliaments, we are committed to helping democratic practices take root, grow and become firmly established.

We aim to realize a vision of parliaments that are fully representative, transparent, accessible, accountable and effective. We take concrete steps to strengthen parliaments as institutions and support MPs and staff in their work. We assist parliaments and parliamentarians to articulate and respond effectively to the needs and expectations of the people. We offer wide-ranging support, driven by the actual needs of parliaments. Our work aims to enable parliament to build its own capacity and lead its own development.

We also set universally applicable standards and guidelines for parliaments that are developed from research on the experience of parliaments around the world.

Our overall vision of democracy has been set out in our Universal Declaration on Democracy. It states that democracy is a basic right of citizenship, characterized by transparency, accountability, participation, gender equality and the rule of law.

The International Day of Democracy is celebrated around the world on 15 September each year. It was established through a resolution passed by the UN General Assembly in 2007, encouraging governments to strengthen and consolidate democracy.